Thinking of going to a dog park with your puppy? A few things to keep in mind. Dog parks are safer for puppies than a place like Petsmart because sunlight kills a lot of viruses. The dog park is a good place for your puppy to get rolled by another dog like a burrito, and trust me, sometimes they need it (remember when you pulled your sister's hair and she punched you? Same thing.) When you are there, think like a lighthouse. A lighthouse is there if you need a break. It's a great place to feel safe if things get too stormy, but a lighthouse doesn't swim out to you. Be the same way for your pup. He may be overwhelmed the whole time; let him hang out by you, but don't coddle him. Just quietly be there to protect him. He may be adventurous... let him. He'll have more fun if he knows he can have a place to return and feel safe.

So, of course I responded...

I have a couple of questions."Dog parks are safer for puppies than a place like Petsmart because sunlight kills a lot of viruses. "PetSmart mops with disinfectant, and sunlight doesn't kill Parvo.

"The dog park is a good place for your puppy to get rolled by another dog like a burrito, and trust me, sometimes they need it "Yes, sometimes puppies need to be put in their place, but shouldn't that be done in a controlled environment, by a dog that you know and trust? What happens if the strange dog that just "rolled" your puppy follows that up by biting him? Your puppy may end up with a laundry list of behavioral problems from getting beaten up by one jerk at a dog park just for acting like a puppy.

"He may be overwhelmed the whole time; let him hang out by you, but don't coddle him."Not coddling makes a lot of sense, if the puppy is actually safe. But if he's overwhelmed, what part of that interaction is good for him??

If you MUST take your puppy to a dog park, only allow your puppy to play with puppies of the same size (eventual adult size, not puppy size) and approximate age.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

And another was, ""Sunlight does not kill viruses! Didn't you take biology in high school? Puppies do not need to be "rolled." Why is a puppy thinking it's going to DIE be a good idea? Why would anyone want to put their dog - adult or puppy - in a potentially dangerous situation? You do understand that dogs roll other dogs to kill them - to eviscerate them - right? Aren't you supposed to be a trainer? Frankly, dog parks really are not safe places for dogs. Most are too large for people to reach their dogs quickly if there's an issue and many people do not monitor their dogs' behavior appropriately because they are talking or reading instead of interacting with their dogs."

And another, "I am a vet tech and can tell you firsthand that there are a LOT of "BDLD" emergencies coming from dog parks(code for "big dog,little dog) and it usually ends badly for the little dog. Thankfully, most of our clients seem to have the sense to keep puppies away from dog parks.......it's kind of like taking your toddler to a college party....and letting them crawl on the floor while people you don't know correct their behavior... I can't see how that could be beneficial.... And Sandy is right...sunlight does NOT kill viruses. Parvo cannot be killed by anything less than bleach......and even THAT has to be in high concentrations relative to general use, and is inactivated by organic compounds.... so you have to clean before you disinfect....don't even get me started on the types of people that frequent dog parks!"

"Remember - every time your dog gets somewhere on a tight leash *a fairy dies and it's all your fault.* Think of the fairies." http://www.positivepetzine.com"

I really just hate dog parks. We recently got one put in our town and it's been interesting to watch it unfold on facebook. Everything from "If you see someone alpha rolling your dog, there's probably a good reason for it" to "I think I should be allowed to bring my kids so that they can play with dogs since we can't have one" (No really, both of those things were said, nearly verbatim!).

The only good thing that has come from us having a dog park is that there aren't people meeting on campus with dozens of off leash dogs for "play dates". I lived really close to there and didn't even *think* about taking Toby outside during their "play dates".

I enjoy going alone, but only in order to observe other people's dogs interactions - it is interesting, albeit unsettling at times for sure.

The trouble is, the concept of off leash dog parks is a good one, but of course no one uses them wisely.

I have seen parks with seperate fenced sections, and that concept seems better to me, because potentially you could go and just stand by the gate and then be able to exercise your dog, even if it wasn't happy-go-lucky-loves-every-other-dog.

I think part of the problem is the average Joe Schmo dog owner thinks that all dogs should get along and this of course just SO is not the case.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07